Celebrate National Poetry Month at South Winds Apartments

April is home to National Pecan Month, National Welding Month, International Guitar Month, National Volunteer Month, and Keep America Beautiful Month, among other designations. It is also National Poetry Month. The Academy of American Poets designated April as a month to celebrate poetry in 1996, making this year’s celebration the 22nd anniversary. From its humble beginnings, the event has grown to be the largest literary celebration event in the world.

Residents of South Winds Apartments in Fall River, MA can participate in the celebrations, too. We are sharing some of the ideas we liked from the academy’s list of 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month about how to be a part of the fun:

— Take a part of A Poem in Your Pocket Day, April 21st. Carry a poem in your pocket that day, and take time to share it with everyone you meet.

— Memorize an old favorite poem or a new one.

— Buy a book of poetry from your favorite local bookseller.

— Attend a local poetry reading or a poetry slam (and if there isn’t one scheduled, set one up; perhaps reserve the clubhouse at South Winds for the evening).

— Chalk-abration, in the style of chalk-the-block, take over nearby sidewalks and write several lines of your favorite poems. Add colorful embellishments to the quote. Invite your friends to join you.

And, of course, a blog post about poetry wouldn’t be the same without a poem, so we give you Wordsworth’s famous poem, which is perfect for springtime:

I Wandered as Lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a Cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and Hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden Daffodils;

Beside the Lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:-

A Poet could not but be gay

In such a jocund company:

I gazed---and gazed---but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude,

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the Daffodils.

Thanks for reading! And feel free to share your favorite poems or ideas you have for celebrating National Poetry Month in the comment section.